The Trump administration decided on Saturday, July 7, to suspend risk adjustment payments that were designed under the Affordable Care Act to provide stability to individual health insurance markets across the nation. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones offered the following statement.

“The Trump Administration has just taken another step to sabotage the nation’s health insurance market by announcing that it will withhold the 2017 risk adjustment payments, which balance the risk among health insurers. The Trump Administration’s action to halt an essential component of the Affordable Care Act may adversely impact the willingness of insurers to continue to sell policies to individuals, families and small employers, as well as cause insurers to raise prices. The Trump Administration’s action introduces needless uncertainty into the ACA insurance market.

The Trump Administration has chosen to respond to one court’s ruling in the way that will be most destructive to the insurance market across the nation, and to American consumers. I urge the Trump Administration to change course and quickly proceed to preserve the risk adjustment program in order to maintain the stability of the health insurance market.”